IDF admits spraying herbicides inside the Gaza Strip

The army says aerial spraying was meant to ‘enable security operations.’ Palestinian farmers say hundreds of acres of crops were damaged or destroyed.

A Palestinian farmer walks through fields near Gaza’s eastern border, Al Montar, February 17, 2014. An Israeli military post is seen in the distance to the left, with the border indicated by the dark green areas passing through it. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

The Israel army has confirmed that it used crop-dusters to kill off vegetation — and perhaps inadvertently, agricultural crops — inside the Gaza Strip last week. According to Palestinian officials, over 420 acres of land were damaged by the spraying.

For years now, the IDF has unilaterally maintained a lethal “no-go zone” on the Palestinian side of the border with Gaza. Now, it seems, it has also implemented a “no-grow zone.”

“The aerial spraying of herbicides and germination inhibitors was conducted in the area along the border fence last week in order to enable optimal and continuous security operations,” an IDF Spokesperson told +972 on Sunday.

Palestinian Agricultural Ministry officials told Ma’an news that farmers said Israeli planes had been spraying their agricultural lands adjacent to the border fence for several days straight. Spinach, pea, parsley and bean crops were reportedly destroyed around the al-Qarrara area in eastern Khan Younis and the Wadi al-Salqa area in central Gaza, according to the report.

The military spokesperson did not respond to a follow-up question about the destruction of agricultural crops.

The spraying of herbicides in Gaza was not reported in the Israeli media.

The IDF has for years imposed a lethal no-go buffer zone along the Gaza border. The army killed at least 16 Palestinians and wounded at least 379 more who entered or approached the no-go zone in recent months, most of whom were participating in demonstrations along the fence.

Farmers and scrap collectors are also regularly targeted as they approach the fence. Palestinians often claim that those shot were outside the restricted area. Rarely are there any allegations that those shot were armed.

“Spraying crop-killing pesticides, like opening fire at people of all ages and gender in the vicinity of the fence, puts civilian lives at risk and hurts livelihoods,” said Shai Grunberg, spokesperson for Gisha, an Israeli rights group that works to promote freedom of movement for Palestinians in Gaza. “By virtue of Israel’s substantial control of the Gaza Strip, international law requires it to facilitate normal life in the Strip.”

From an Israeli military perspective, the buffer zone helps the army counter the laying of IEDs, ambushes and border infiltrations. Ground forces regularly enter the Strip in order to clear obstructions to army’s line of sight, including by demolishing structures and trees. The logic behind the herbicidal clearing of foliage and crops along the border area, one can assume, is to clear a line of sight for soldiers seeking to identify threats.

Palestinian workers salvage building materials near Erez Crossing at the northern border between Gaza and Israel, Beit Hanoun, February 18, 2014. A remote-controlled weapon is mounted on a nearby Israeli military watchtower in the border wall. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

The Israeli army has provided contradictory information regarding the no-go zone over the years, including the area’s specific size and its procedures for engaging (shooting at) civilians who enter it for various reasons. From explanations given in recent months, it appears that the no-go zone stretches 300 meters from the fence but that farmers are allowed to approach up to 100 meters by foot. Those distances tend to differ from area to area, according to Gisha.

The army has not disclosed how it distinguishes between farmers and other civilians, or civilians and combatants, however.

“A primary principle of international humanitarian law is the distinction between combatants and civilians,” Israeli human rights group B’Tselem wrote in a report on the no-go zone in Gaza. “When it is unclear if the persons are civilians or combatants, they must be treated as civilians.”

A Palestinian herder tends his sheep near the northern border between Gaza and Israel, Beit Hanoun, February 18, 2014. (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

During the Vietnam war, the United States famously sprayed Agent Orange, napalm and other herbicides and defoliants to destroy vast swathes of jungle in Vietnam for military purposes. After the health and environmental effects such practices became clearer, however, the international community initiated the Environmental Modification Convention restricting the use of herbicidal warfare, which came into force in 1978. Israel is not a party to the convention.

In addition to enforcing a lethal buffer zone along its land border with Gaza affecting Palestinian farmers, the Israeli army also imposes strict, and sometimes deadly restrictions on the maritime areas in which Palestinian fisherman may fish.

Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip 10 years ago but its military still controls its land and sea borders, airspace, maritime zone, population registry, and decides which people and what goods may enter and exit the Strip. While Gaza also has a land border with Egypt, the Rafah crossing is a passenger terminal only, is often closed, and only lets through a limited number of people.

Correction: This article originally included outdated statistics on the relative size of Gaza’s “no-go zone” as a percentage of the entire territory. That sentence has been removed.

Haggai Matar contributed to this report.

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LEAVE A COMMENT

COMMENTS

been there

MondayDecember 28, 2015

This is just another example of Israel’s ‘slow motion genocide’ against the Gazans..along with killing fishermen, denying medical aid for cancer sufferers,..along with denying help for terribly traumatised children..While Israel builds more and more Jewish only houses on Palestinian West Bank land, only one Gazan house has been rebuilt.

Gaza is a concentration camp.
ps There is nothing surprizing about the ‘wedding of hate’ dance.

Reply to Comment

Dino

TuesdayDecember 29, 2015

“slow motion genocide”.If was real that the blockade made by US and “her allies” caused the dead of 500 thousand children I suppose that that the blockade of Gaza by Israel can’t be less lethal and with close rate of victims.

Reply to Comment

Ossie Sharon

WednesdayDecember 30, 2015

There is no genocide here, slow or otherwise. Since Israel’s rebirth, Palestinian life expectancy and the population have skyrocketed. Regarding the ‘wedding of hate’ dance, those schmucks are being prosecuted. As for the rest, if you’re truly concerned about the ongoing war being one-sided, some effort on our part to read the history from scholarly sources will perk you right up.

Reply to Comment

Weiss

MondayDecember 28, 2015

Warsaw Ghetto version 2.0

This is worse than version 1 because it just never ends….

Reply to Comment

Lauren

TuesdayDecember 29, 2015

When will we ever learn?

Reply to Comment

Carmen

TuesdayDecember 29, 2015

The required labeling for produce in Israel must not only state where it came from but that it was sprayed with whatever and clearly detail what that is. This should be a red alert for the EU and USA. Or better yet, stop importing produce from the still undefined, borderless, “state of Israel”.

Reply to Comment

Charlie Andreasson

TuesdayDecember 29, 2015

Ossie, a “neutral no-go zone”? It´s nothing neutral about that. Besides, if Israel wants a “no-go” zone they have to have it on their side, on their land, not on any others land. As it is today it is a violation of th Geneva convention, and shoting at civilians in that zone is a war crime.

Reply to Comment

Average American

WednesdayDecember 30, 2015

I ask again, why doesn’t Israel want Gaza? Why treat it any differently than West Bank or Golan Heights? Doesn’t it have farmland? Beaches that tourists would like? A commercial harbor? Also no more rockets coming from there. Why? Does Israel NEED an Enemy to feed its nationalism?

Reply to Comment

rai

WednesdayDecember 30, 2015

This is so one sided, biased and just plain ridiculous! Yes it is like a ghetto- a self imposed one! Israel treats them TOO good. Providing jobs,medical care. Even to top terrorists! Do some research!!

Reply to Comment

Aussie Peter

FridayJanuary 22, 2016

These are all predictable, logical developments and comments from both sides. Until the world is fully aware of the reason and purpose for the Balfour Declaration, why the US agreed to come into WW1 and why Germany reacted as it did causing WW2 I doubt we’ll have any improvement in behaviour and attitude.

About +972 Magazine

+972 is an independent, blog-based web magazine. It was launched in August 2010, resulting from a merger of a number of popular English-language blogs dealing with life and politics in Israel and Palestine.

+972 is an independent, blog-based web magazine. It was launched in August 2010, resulting from a merger of a number of popular English-language blogs dealing with life and politics in Israel and Palestine.